Recipes Preparing food
Mesquite beans
Mesquite BeansTo make flour, use fully ripe beans with no beetle holes, picked from trees on the desert floor. Clean beans and heat in a 170?F oven for 4 hours to destroy any internal troublemakers. Or sun dry as the Indians do. Use a food processor to crush beans. Sift seed coats and fi
(by user) Non-reactive pan
Non Reactive PanWhen a recipe calls for a non reactive cookware, use clay, copper, enamel, glass, plastic, or stainless steel. Do not store processed chiles or tomatoes in aluminum containers.
(by user) Nopales
NopalesFresh cactus pads are available year found in Mexican markets and some grocery stores. Choose small or medium size firm pads. They should not be wrinkled, soggy or too soft. If you are growing prickly pear cactuses in your garden, the pads are at their best in the spring. You can
(by user) Nuts
NutsuTo Toast/uSpread them in a single layer in an ungreased pan. Bake at 350?F, stirring and checking until they are done. They are toasted when lightly browned. Bake almonds, pecans and walnuts for 7 to 12 minutes. Bake pine nuts for 5 to 7 minutes.uTo Grind/u
(by user) Oil
OilCombine canola oil and olive oil to enhance the flavor of the canola oil. This also raises the smoking point of the olive oil.
(by user) Onion
OnionuTo Roast/uWarm a small, heavy skillet over high heat. Cut onion in half, leaving the outer skin on. Roast until the exterior turns brown and the interior is semi soft. Let cool, then remove skin.
(by user) Artichokes
ArtichokesuTo Clean and Prepare for Cooking/uCut off about 1 inch from the top of the artichoke with a sharp knife. Use a kitchen shears to cut straight across the top of each of the leaves to remove the sharp tips. Remove small, hanging bottom leaves so that it is even all ar
(by user) Orange extract
Orange ExtractThinly peel 1/2 navel orange with a vegetable peeler. Be sure you do not include any of the white part. Dice the peel and combine with 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup vodka. Put Orange Extract into a clean glass jar and set aside to steep for at least 3 days. Store it anywhere, a
(by user) Oregano
OreganoUse only Mexican oregano for Mexican cooking. It comes from a different family and offers a sweeter, milder flavor. If you need to substitute, use crumbled Mediterranean oregano leaves, but use about one third less, as they have a much harsher flavor.
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Papaya
PapayaTo peel a papaya, hold the papaya on its side on a cutting surface. Slice the fruit in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds to use as a garnish. Place a papaya half, cut side down, on a work surface, then remove peel with a knife. Remove 1 inch to 3 inches of its narrow end, which
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Pine nuts (pinons)
Pine Nuts (Pinons)Store them tightly covered and either refrigerate or freeze them, depending on how soon they are to be used.
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Pineapple
PineappleuHow to Select/uLeaves should be bright green and sprightly, not pallid, brown or limp, and the fruit should feel heavy for its size, yield slightly to pressure but be devoid of soft or brown spots. Look for a faintly fruity aroma that exudes from the stem, but beware
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Plantains
PlantainsYellow brown, brown and black plantains can be peeled as you would a banana, but it is almost impossible to peel green and yellow plantains. Cut their skin off with a sharp knife.Slice plantains, with the skin attached, on a diagonal into 3/4 inch rounds (or another lengt
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Pots
Pots uCazuelas/uCazuelas are glazed or unglazed Mexican pots which are used for long, slow cooking. There may be concern about the lead content of the glazes. It is preferable to buy glazed cazuelas from reputable dealers. The unglazed pots are NOT safe.
(by user) Prickly pear
Prickly PearWhile wearing gloves, carefully remove spikes by cutting off the ends and peeling the fruit. To use for sorbets and other uses, the pulp should be pur?ed and strained. They can be found at the market from September through December.
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Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin SeedsuTo Oven Toast/uSpread them in a single layer in an ungreased pan. Bake at 350?F for 13 to 15 minutes, stirring and checking frequently.uTo Skillet Toast/uHeat a skillet over medium heat and toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring often. They will pop
(by user) Queso fresco
Queso FrescoFeta cheese can be reasonably substituted for this cheese.
(by user) Banana leaves
Banana LeavesuPreparing for Wrapping/uTo prepare banana leaves for wrapping, cut them into pieces large enough to wrap the piece of meat or poultry you will be cooking. Simmer them in hot water to cover for 15 minutes to make them pliable. They are frustrating to work with sin
(by user) Rajas
RajasChar and peel the chiles, then cut them into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long.
(by user) Refried beans
Refried BeansRemove beans from the juice they have been cooked in and mash them with a potato masher, leaving some unmashed. Cook them in a cast iron skillet with some bacon grease. Season with garlic and salt and pepper to taste.To make canned refried beans extra special, add abo
(by user) Ristras
RistrasDark red chiles that have been dried and strung together with thread, they are completely edible as long as they are not sprayed with insecticide. Never ship them in plastic. They may rot or become infested with insects.
(by user) Roma tomatoes
Roma TomatoesDo not refrigerate as they will lose their flavor.They are excellent in salsa.
(by user) Self-rising flour
Self Rising FlourTo make, add 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to each cup of flour called for in the recipe.
(by user) Shredded meat
Shredded MeatBasic method is to cut meat into large pieces, then cover it with water. Add salt, onion, garlic and peppercorns, then simmer until it is just tender. Let the meat cool off in the broth. Drain and shred.
(by user) Sierra cheese
Sierra CheeseRomano or Parmesan cheese can be substituted.
(by user) Squash blossoms
Squash BlossomsThey are extremely perishable, so use them the day they are picked. The squash blossoms called for in Southwestern recipes come from winter squash, not zucchini.
(by user) Stock
StockPreheat oven to about 400 degrees F. Put cleaned beef, chicken or fish into a large baking pot. Add any fresh vegetables you care to, including carrot tops, if desired. Carrots, celery, and bell peppers are good to use. Onions do not need to be peeled. Place in the oven and brown fo
(by user) Beans
BeansuCooking Dried Beans/uBefore cooking dried beans, rinse them well and pick them over for stones or inferior beans.If more water is needed when cooking beans, always add very hot or boiling water as cold water will discolor the beans.More flavor can be obtain
(by user) Superfine sugar
Superfine SugarTo make, put white granulated sugar into a blender and pulse for a few seconds.
(by user) Tamales
TamalesTo assemble, hold a prepared corn husk flat on one hand, smooth side up. If you need to overlap two husks, have the wide ends in opposite directions (so that it forms a rectangle) and spread the dough over the husks together, just as if they were one husk. With a rubber spatula, s
(by user) Tamarind
TamarindMust be soaked before using. Separate the tamarind pods, pulling away and discarding as much of the outer skin as you can. Cover with water and let the pulp soak for at least an hour (overnight, if possible). Squeeze the pulp well to extract the juice or rub as much pulp as you c
(by user) Tomatillos
TomatillosSelect tomatillos with their husks still drawn tightly around them. Husk and rinse off the sticky residue before using them.
(by user) Tomatoes
TomatoesRoasting tomatoes gives them an exotic flavor. Roasting works best with ripe, red tomatoes. To roast and peel tomatoes, set the oven to broil. Arrange cored tomatoes with their top surfaces about 5 inches from the heat. Broil, turning occasionally, until the skin is blistered and
(by user) Tortilla cups
Tortilla CupsPreheat canola oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F to 375 degrees F.Cut slits in a corn tortilla. To do this, lay the tortilla flat. Cut as though you are cutting it into four sections, but only cut to within about an inch of the middle. In other words, do not cut al
(by user) Tripe
TripeTry to use honeycomb tripe, the most tender of the varieties. If the tripe has not come already cleaned, clean it as soon as possible because it perishes very quickly. Start a day in advance of cooking. Mix together 1 cup kosher salt and 1 cup of inexpensive vinegar. Pour about one
(by user) Vanilla extract
Vanilla ExtractTo make, chop 3 or 4 vanilla beans into small pieces. Do not lose any of the little black seeds. Drop the pieces into a clean jar and cover with 1/2 cup brandy and 1/2 cup water. Cover with a tight fitting lid and keep in a dark place, shaking every other day. Vanilla Extr
(by user) Dried minced vegetables
VegetablesuDried, Minced Vegetables/uTo make dried, minced vegetables, preheat oven to 120?F. Spread 1 to 2 cups of finely chopped vegetables (onions, mushrooms, red or green bell peppers, scallions, carrots, or celery) in a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Dry in the oven until
(by user) Yuca
YucaThis root vegetable is never eaten raw.Select firm roots that are odorless, hard and free of cracks and soft, slimy, or moldy spots. Since it spoils rather quickly, keep at room temperature for no longer than 3 days. It can be peeled and frozen for longer storage. If you cut o
(by user) Beef broth
Beef BrothAs a substitute for homemade beef broth when making Tex Mex sauces, make your own broth by mixing 1 1/2 cups of canned beef broth with 1 1/4 cups water.
(by user) Peppers
PeppersuRoasting Peppers/uuMethod 1/uWarm a cast iron skillet to medium heat. Wash the peppers and remove stem if you desire. Cover the surface of the skillet with peppers. Let peppers cook for 10 to 15 and then turn them over. Continue this process until the pepper be
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